Task Chairs

Mesh back or upholstered back

The second split is the backrest material, and the answer depends on the climate of the room. A mesh back keeps air moving and prevents heat build-up over a long session; Ares, Daily, Cocoo, Sodu, A-One and D227 are built with mesh backs, and Arven extends mesh across both the back and the seat surface. A padded, upholstered back gives a warmer surface and a quieter look; Riva’s deep padded seat and wrapping arms are the example here. Cornella combines a lumbar-supported mesh back with an adjustable headrest and is offered in gray and black. Niro pairs a breathable 3D mesh backrest with a hidden Wave Spring suspension and a one-piece fluid body. Hime takes the opposite route and sets a mesh back against Nappa and Vienna fabric upholstery, on an aluminium base with a synchronous forward and backward tilt. Series such as Dinamica and Svago offer the same shell in both mesh and upholstered versions, so the back material does not force a change of model.

Lumbar support only works when it adjusts

Lumbar support is a common search, but a fixed bulge does not meet the same point on every body. The models that carry an adjustable lumbar unit stand apart in this catalogue: A-One, D227 and Duoflex offer adjustable lumbar support, Sodu an adjustable back support unit, and Svago an automatic lumbar support unit. Duoflex splits its back support system into separate upper and lower parts so each responds to movement independently. Seat depth adjustment follows the same logic: A-One, Flo and Sodu absorb differences in leg length without changing the shell, and Bosso lists seat depth as an option. Cornella combines 5-stage adjustable lumbar support with seat height adjustment of up to 10 cm, on a 100% recyclable nylon seat frame with PU casters.

Fixed arms, 2D, 3D or 4D

Armrest movement is stated plainly on the product pages and makes selection easier. Fixed arms are the simplest answer. A 2D arm moves up and down only, as on Cobi and D227. A 3D arm moves forward, back, left and right, as on Duoflex, Sodu, Svago and Runy. Runy’s arm moves on three axes – up and down, forward and back, side to side – and pairs that with a full synchronous mechanism on a chrome base. For narrow desks and shells that must tuck under a worktop, an armless version is worth looking for; Vito, Okay and Moon sit close to that requirement. Okay and the Dinamica series are listed on the Premium line and do not appear as cards in this grid, which shows fifty-nine shells.

Dimensions and desk compatibility

Seat height here runs from 43 to 58 cm, and a gas lift that starts in the lower half of that band is what makes a standard 75 cm worktop comfortable. Overall height varies between 74 and 136 cm, with the upper end belonging to models with headrests. Vito moves between 89 and 99 cm in overall height and 44 to 53 cm in seat height; Nx and Vx are the largest shells at 136 cm overall and 57-58 cm seat height. Width starts at 50 cm and depth runs from 49 to 98 cm. On materials, product pages state FR 50 kg/m3 polyurethane in the padding of Kona and Pera, and 40 kg/m3 foam in Glory.

Certification and warranty information is product-specific rather than category-wide: the product pages for Hina, Hime, Nx and Vx state GREENGUARD Gold, BIFMA and ISO 14001 certification with a two-year warranty, while Cornella is listed as GREENGUARD and BIFMA compliant, and Vx also holds an iF Design Award 2020. If you need a high back, a headrest and leather upholstery for a representative room, executive chairs is the better starting point. For a fixed shell across the desk see guest chairs, for mid-back use around a table see meeting chairs, and for training rooms see multipurpose chairs. To compare every seating shell, use the chairs parent page, and for the matching work surface see desks and height-adjustable desks.